Young Justice: Preserving Legacies
by AlmightyCrab
Summary: 3 Months After the Death of Kid Flash, the Team is struggling to deal with it and move on. That isn't the main problem however, as the Light has returned to their activities, putting the Team to their toughest test yet!
1. Introductions

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE OR ANY CHARACTERS AFFILIATED WITH DC COMICS.**

**A/N: This story takes place about three months after the death of Kid Flash**

**POV: Tigress**

I keep having the same nightmares. Every night. They won't stop. I keep dreaming of Wally, and whenever I wake up, I try to convince myself it's not real. Then I look at the empty space on the bed beside me and it all comes flowing back. I'm an emotional wreck. The love of my life is gone. Not only that but a lot of people still don't trust me or Aqualad because of what we did. He's stronger than I am. He can handle it. I wish I could be more like him, or even M'Gann or Conner. The four of us are the only original members still on The Team. Nightwing left after Wally- Nightwing's gone. I haven't heard from him in months. He hasn't called to offer his condolences. He probably thinks I don't need them. He thinks I'm tough. But I'm not. I just want to be around someone who knows what I'm going through. The last time I saw him was at Wally's funeral, and he never even said goodbye.

I'm trying to push these thoughts away as I get out of bed. It's about 7 AM. There probably won't be anything major going on today for Tigress to be involved in. That's another thing, the fact that I'm going by Tigress troubles most of the Team, since I fought a lot of them as Tigress. But Impulse doesn't seem to mind (I don't care that he's Kid Flash now, I will call him Impulse until I'm ready). He says that it's part of my healing process, so he respects it. It's been nearly three months and I still know so little about that kid other than the fact that he's Flash's grandson from the future and he lives with Jay and Joan Garrick.

There I go again. My thoughs have wandered back to the Flashes. It seems like they're all involved with Bart somehow. All of them except for Wally's parents. They don't mind him, but they're not exactly ecstatic to embrace him as their family. I visit them a lot to help them cope, but I haven't seen them in a while. Honestly, I have no interest in seeing them any time soon. It's just too hard for me.

Mostly everything is. Since everyone found out my death was faked, I reconciled with Zatanna. She was so happy that I was back, and I couldn't help but feel so bad that I put my best friend through that. I wouldn't stop apologizing even after she told me to. I wish she was still on The Team. Just because we operate out of the Watchtower doesn't mean we're members of the League. We hardly ever interact unless we need to. I'm starting to doubt that this is the life for me, but then I remind myself that I have nothing to go back to.

**POV: Superboy**

I was sad when Wally died. Everyone was. But as everyone knows, I'm not very good at showing emotion. I might have been the only one who hadn't cried. Artemis was really torn up, she accused me of being heartless for not caring, and I just didn't know what to say. I couldn't be mad at Artemis, not after what she'd just been through. M'Gann convinced me it was best to just leave her alone for a while.

Despite all the bad things that happened, there was one thing that finally made me smile. M'Gann realized her mistakes; she made a promise to me that she would never abuse her powers again. We got back together and I felt whole again.

After a few weeks, things started to get back to normal. Well, as normal as they could be for a group of teenage superheroes. But a few days ago Lagaan finally confronted me about M'Gann. I knew it was coming before it happened.

"You stole her from me!" he shouted at me, which I didn't appreciate because of my super hearing. I knew M'Gann wouldn't want me to fight him, so I wasn't going to. I tried to ignore him but he was persistant.

"I loved her! You don't care about her, you don't deserve her!"

He was really starting to piss me off, but I just tried to walk away. He flipped over me and demanded I talk to him.

"I've got nothing to say to you, Lagaan. Beat it."

That was where he made his big mistake. He punched me in the face and I grabbed his wrist, yanking him forward. I bent his arm behind his back and put my other hand on the back of his neck, slamming him into the wall.

"I'm warning you, Lagaan. M'Gann made her choice, and you need to respect that. I don't doubt that you love her, but you need to move on. I did not steal her from you, you drove her away. If you ever attack me again, there won't be a warning."

I pulled him away from the wall and shoved him into it one more time before walking away.

When M'Gann found out she was pretty upset. I told her how it went, and she couldn't help but feel bad for Lagaan, but I told her it was his own fault. Eventually she dropped it.

Today, M'Gann and Martian Manhunter were taking a trip to Mars, and things seemed quiet on Earth, so I was hoping maybe to make things better with Artemis.

**POV: Miss Martian**

Despite all the times Wally hit on me when the Team first formed, he was still one of the first friends I ever made on Earth. He was one of my best friends. He was Artemis's boyfriend, and now he's gone. I wouldn't be surprised if they were going to get married soon, but now I'll never find out. I'll never get to be a Bridesmaid for Artemis. I feel so bad for her, but I respect her bravery for rejoining the Team.

I feel like we grew closer together on Black Manta's sub when we were repairing Aqualad's mind. That was a wakeup call for me. Superboy was right about me abusing my powers. I never knew how destructive they were until I saw it firsthand. Aqualad wasn't mad at me for frying his brain, even though I expected him to be. He said if he had been in my position, it was very possible that he would have done the same thing.

I'm just glad everything's okay now. The Team is working alongside the League, me and Conner are back together, and Uncle J'onn and I are going to Mars today. I haven't been there in years, so I'm hoping maybe I won't be persecuted for being white. But if I am, Uncle J'onn will be there to defend me. I look forward to the day that I can fight alongside him as a member of the Justice League.

Maybe one day I'll be the Martian Manhunter. Hello, Megan! I'd be the Martian Womanhunter, wouldn't I? That name just sounds really threatening… perhaps I should just stick with Ms. Martian.

**POV: Aqualad**

Annex Orin was quite pleased to discover I was not a traitor. I will admit I was angry with him at first for withholding the truth from me, but he did have good reason, and it is not right for me to question my King. I have since returned to working alongside him and his new protégé, Lagaan. Lagaan is hot-headed for an Atlantean, but his heart is in the right place. To me, that is all that matters.

After Wally's death, I mourned alongside Artemis and Dick. I have only seen Nightwing once after Wally's funeral. I was visiting Happy Harbor. I don't quite know why, perhaps out of nostalgia, and he was doing the same. The meeting was not planned, but both of us were glad it occurred.

"Come here often?" he asked me as he appeared out of the shadows, sitting down next to me. Both of us were wearing civilian clothing to hide our identities.

"It is good to see you, my friend."

"Same to you, Kaldur. How's the Team? How's Artemis?"

"The Team fares quite well. Batgirl is very helpful, and kind as well. Artemis is holding up, but it is clear that she is still hurting. Most of the Team is still hesitant to trust either of us, but that is not the most important problem at the moment."

"Have you ever wondered why Wally was never as fast as Barry?"

"The thought has crossed my mind before, but I have never expanded on it."

"Recently it's all I've been able to think about. When I first heard about a teenager being in an accident in Central City, I was anxious to investigate. He recreated the experiment perfectly. I think the problem was just psychological. He always believed he wasn't fast enough, so his subconscious prevented him from going as fast as he could have."

"That does seem very possible, my friend. Do you plan on returning to the Team soon?"

The silence lasted perhaps too long before he answered.

"No."

We talked for a while longer after that, and I haven't seen him since. But there were still a lot of loose ends that needed to be tied up. About a week ago I traveled to Atlantis to see my parents. They were very happy to see me, and I felt the same way. I assured my father, Calvin Durham, that my blood relation to Black Manta did not matter, and that he would always be my father. The happiness in his eyes when I said that could have lit up the entire ocean.

After my visit was over, I decided to see Garth, which was a mistake.

When he opened his door, I greeted him, and he punched me in the face. He tried to go back inside, but I grabbed the door and tried to explain everything to him. He had really let himself go. He was beginning to grow a beard, nowhere near as majestic as Aquaman's. It was messy, it made him look like he gave up. I haven't seen him since Tula's death, but he no doubt heard about me joining Black Manta. After I finished my explanation, he hesitated. He then told me to get out. Reluctantly, I granted his wish and left.

Since then, things have been normal. I am still leading the Team, but evil seems to be lying low. The Light has been broken in half, and despite all of Batgirl's effort, Vandal Savage is yet to be found. But that isn't the worst of it. Just after Miss Martian and her uncle left for Mars, Lex Luthor announced his candidacy for President of the United States.

Superman was… upset to say the least. The Watchtower is going to need a new central computer.


	2. Inner Workings

**POV: Batgirl**

I really miss Dick. He was the reason I became Batgirl in the first place, he was the reason I even joined this Team. After Wally's death he left. I know where he frequents, of course, I'm Batgirl. Everyone else says I'm in love with him, but I'm not. I care about him, I used to have a crush on him, but it's not like my entire life is devoted to thinking about him.

Since he left Aqualad's been keeping me pretty busy, and it's helped take my mind off of things. Unlike most of the others I actually trust Aqualad and Artemis. What they did was necessary, and they should understand that. Maybe it's just a Bat Family thing, but I don't blame them. Ever since Artemis rejoined the Team as Tigress we've started talking a lot more, and it felt good to work with her again. We knew each other when we were just teenagers at Gotham Academy, which was before I was Batgirl, so I had no idea about her secret life.

But Artemis isn't my best friend. That would definitely be Cassie. Ever since she joined the Team she's kind of looked up to me, and it made me feel good. I don't know why she chose me, but I'm glad she did. We hang out outside of superheroing and we have a lot in common. She can be pretty eager (sometimes _too_ eager) on missions, so the others kind of expect me to keep her under control, which I don't mind.

There's one other person on the Team that means a lot to me. Kid Flash. Not Wally, he and I were never close, but it still affected me a lot when he died. No, I'm talking about the new Kid Flash, the one that used to be Impulse. The two of us were partners when we saved Blue Beetle from the Reach, and since he almost killed both of us in plain sight, we kind of formed a bond. Since then, we've worked together on a lot of cases, and he's really not as bad as the others think he is. He's nice, really compassionate, and he can even be funny when he wants to. He's like the goofy little brother I never had. I would think he has a crush on me, if I didn't already think he has a crush on Blue.

Nightwing, Wonder Girl, Artemis, and Kid Flash. Then there's Robin. He's the wild card here. Yeah, we were both Batman's partners at the same time, and I've worked with him even more than I've worked with Dick. He's like a brother too, but he's very distant. I think he wants to be like Batman a little too much. He's young, and he's so full of anger. I know his backstory, and it's pretty bad. I feel bad for him, but he's refused to let me in, despite all the years we've been partners. I'd still take a bullet for him, the thing is, I'm just not sure he'd do the same for me.

**POV: Superboy**

I'd been so bored the past couple of hours that I fell asleep in the Dining Hall. I was woken up by the sound of the Zeta Tubes activating. My head flew up, and I wiped the scrambled eggs off of my cheek.

"_Tigress: B07"_

It was now or never. She looked tired, and she probably didn't want to be bothered, but I just wanted to get this over with.

"Hey, Artemis." I heard the words before I realized it was me who said them. She turned towards me and sat down at the table.

"Hey Conner. Did M'Gann already leave?"

"Yeah she left a couple hours ago, but I need to apologize to you."

"For what?"

"When Wally died, you said I was heartless because I didn't cry. I hadn't thought about it until you brought it up, and I felt like an asshole. After you said that, I tried to cry, but it's hard for me. Wally was one of my closest friends. I stayed with him and his parents before I moved into the Cave. Whenever no one else was around, he was nice to me, he always wanted to know how I was feeling. It's hard for me knowing that this guy is gone, and I just don't know how to react. But I should have been considerate of you, and I'm really sorry."

I hadn't been looking at her the whole time I was speaking because this whole apology thing was really embarrassing. When I looked up, tears were streaming down her face, and she hugged me.

"You don't need to apologize for that, Conner. I was so angry that Wally was gone. I wasn't angry at you, I just needed an outlet and you were unlucky enough to be there." After she pulled away she wiped the tears off of her face.

I chuckled.

"Well, you know I can handle it."

She smiled and said "Yeah, I know."

**POV: Robin**

I hate to admit it, but ever since Nightwing left I can't help but feel… I don't know free. I always kind of liked him better than Batman, but I never showed it. I always just stepped back into both of their shadows and let them take charge. But now that he's gone I feel like I can be my own person. I'm free to be whoever I want to be without needing to get his approval. I feel like Batman monitors me while I'm on the Watchtower, but I don't really care. I spend most of my time with Cassie, so I don't think he'd want to watch that all the time. He's Batman he probably has better things to do.

I was thinking about this as I Zeta'd to the Watchtower from the Batcave. Just in time, I heard Aqualad's voice over the intercom calling for a meeting of any Team members present. As I made my way to the meeting room I grinned at the fact that no one knew I had uncovered Nightwing and Aqualad's ruse. Much like Batman, and probably Batgirl, I tracked Aqualad after he left to make sure he wasn't putting himself in danger. But after a while I'd lost him. When he resurfaced as the Black Manta, the time gap seemed too short that drastic of a change in character. I knew something was up, so whenever I got the chance I looked into the matter and I eventually hacked into one of Nightwing's secret files and I learned everything. I didn't tell anyone because I knew they were keeping it secret for a reason. And now, three months later, no one knows I knew.

When I got to the meeting room the only others were Aqualad, Batgirl, Superboy, Tigress, and Beast Boy. Beetle and KF were probably off being idiots, I honestly didn't care what Lagaan was up to, Cassie was probably visiting her mother, I don't know much about Virgil yet so I can't be certain what he's doing, Karen's probably at the lab with Atom and I bet Mal is waiting for her to finish. Same old same old.

I wonder what Aqualad has in store for us. I've been itching for some action since the "Reach Apocalypse".

"It seems this is all we will get. It will have to suffice." Says Aqualad. I really respect this guy. He's got major balls to go behind the League's back and pose as a bad guy.

"What's the problem, Kaldur?" asked Superboy. He's a pretty cool guy. Whenever I get the chance to talk to him, he kind of reminds me of myself. Stubborn, a little self-centered, but he's willing to do what's necessary.

"My father, Black Manta, broke out of his cell at Belle Reve Penitentiary. Bumblebee and Guardian are investigating how this could have happened," Guess I was wrong about Karen and Mal. "But that is not the main problem. His manta sub has been spotted at the S.T.A.R Labs oil rig just off the coast of Alaska, and he's calling for Aquaman's blood. What he doesn't know is that Aquaman is currently with the other Leaguers battling General Zod in the Phantom Zone, so he's going to have to settle for us."

"Finally, some action!" I say, getting a nervous look from Batgirl. I'm kind of worried about her. I've never been too close with her, despite our history together, but she's a really nice girl, and she spends too much of her time worrying about me. I don't want her to get hurt, so whenever we're on missions together I try not to do anything stupid so she won't have to cover for me.

"Yeah, let's go kick Black Manta's butt!" shouts Beast Boy, who gives me a hi-five. We both then look at Aqualad and shut up. I felt like an inconsiderate jerk for talking smack about his dad right in front of him, but he's a tough guy. He probably doesn't care.


	3. Home, Sweet Home

**POV: Nightwing**

A handful of people in the world have to experience the death of their best friend. A lot more people have to experience the deaths of their parents. When a guy experiences both, he might start to go a little crazy.

I seriously feel like I'm losing it. After Wally died I left the team in Kaldur's more than capable hands. No one really knew what I was leaving to do, and honestly, neither did I. I just knew I had to get away from all of them. Especially Artemis. She reminds me too much of him. I know that's a really crappy way to feel, she lost the love of her life. But she's holding up really good, she actually had the courage to stay on the team. That's more than I can say about myself.

After leaving the team the only person I've seen is Kaldur. I'd gone to Happy Harbor to try and forget about Wally's death, and only focus on all the good memories I'd made in that place. And yes, for me, near-death experiences often count as good memories. I can't help it, I was raised that way.

Which brings me to another point; I know for a fact Batman's has spent most of the past three months watching my every move. Contrary to popular belief, I'm just as good a detective as him. Which is how I've been able to prevent Barbara and Tim from tracking me. I would be concerned about that right now, but Batman is currently in the Phantom Zone and Robin, Batgirl, and a few other members of the team were about to confront Black Manta at a S.T.A.R Labs oil rig. I'll never have a better opportunity than this.

I'm going back to the Batcave. It's been a long time since I've been there but I still know exactly where it is. It's my home. When I finally got there, I stopped by Alfred's grave before going inside. He had passed away in late 2015 from a heart attack when the Joker broke into Wayne Manor, to kidnap Bruce Wayne for a ransom. Joker never knew Bruce was Batman, but after Alfred died, Batman put the Joker in a coma. If I hadn't been there, I'm afraid Bruce might have killed him. He never would have forgiven himself.

When I got inside I didn't bother stopping by my old room. After I first became Nightwing and Jason became Robin it was given to him. After Jason died, Bruce turned the room into a meditation room. No, I went straight to the Cave. A lot of memories came flowing back, like the first time I ever wore the Robin costume, the first time I met Superman, and most importantly of all; when I finally declared my independence from Batman and decided to become Nightwing.

I went to the computer and, without thinking, searched up Batman's mission report of the "Reach Apocalypse" (even though the world didn't end, that's what we have all decided to call it). Needless to say, his report made me a little angry.

"_Although I was on Rimbor during the event's occurrence, I have been given thorough review by Aqualad and Nightwing. Lex Luthor, whether an attempt to boost his popularity in the public eye or simply wanting to save the planet is unknown, supplied the heroes with "anti-Reach" software that led to their downfall. Although almost all of the Reach's weapons were de-activated, one remained in Antarctica. Flash and Impulse attempted to contain it under Lex Luthor's instruction, the chrysalis began to become neutralized. After Kid Flash attempted to assist them, it led to the chrysalis energy focusing on him as a target and was finally extinguished, regretfully, along with Kid Flash's life. I will look further into Luthor's involvement to find out his motives behind assisting the heroes."_

I always knew Batman never showed any emotion, even to me, I never thought he could be this heartless. The Flash is one of his closest friends, and Batman couldn't even bother to shed a tear when KF died!

I took a couple deep breaths before doing anything else. I erased any evidence that I had been here, and left. On my way out I recalled how, after Wally's funeral, Batman had quickly gathered me, Barbara, and Tim back to Gotham City to promise us that both the League and the Team would avenge Wally, but he needed to make sure that we wouldn't get distracted in the field. It was easy for Tim and Barbara to take Batman's orders, but not so much for me. What he said to us is what led to me leaving the team. He said we couldn't be distracted in the field, so I took myself out of the field. I needed to gather my thoughts and my feelings. But after reading Batman's report and realizing that I haven't done shit to avenge Wally, I know it's time to quit moping around and start being Nightwing again.

I got on my motorcycle as my ear piece picked up on the GCPD scanners, telling me that Two-Face and his gang were holding Gotham City Bank hostage. This was my chance. I revved up my motorcycle and sped down the roads of Gotham City and I was at the Bank in minutes. There were lives at stake, so I couldn't risk wasting my time. Naturally, I drove my motorcycle right through the doors of the bank. I jumped off right as I was in the building to avoid being shot. My motorcycle hit one of the thugs, and I pressed a button on my gauntlet to stop the bike from hitting anyone else. I dodged a bullet and threw an eskrima stick at his head. I ducked under another bullet, grabbed the shooter's gun and slammed it into his face, grabbed his wrist, and chucked him across the room. He collided with another gunman and the two of them fell to the floor. There was only one man left standing and he was holding a hostage. She was a blonde, Caucasian woman, a little bit shorter than me, she didn't look like a resident Gotham City citizen, she was probably from New York City or Metropolis. She didn't work at the bank, she was most likely here to make a withdrawal, not at all expecting this to happen, and I could tell by the confused yet terrified look on her face that she was expecting Batman to rescue her, not me.

"You take another step towards me and I'll blow her brains out!" the man threatened.

"Get back!" shouted the woman, clearly afraid that she was going to die. I couldn't blame her.

I'm not the Batman. I have my own way of handling this.

"Aren't you going to do something?!" shouted one of the hostages.

"Shut up!" shouted the gunman.

I scanned the area and grinned. I chuckled and the gunman pointed his gun at me, away from the blonde woman.

"What are you laughing at?!" shouted the man. He was afraid, almost as afraid as the woman in his arms. He doesn't know who I am; he doesn't know what I can do.

"Dude, you are totally not whelmed. Just put the gun down, tell me where Two-Face is, and we can start taking the "dis" out of this disaster."

He looked at me for a few seconds, then at the hostages on the floor. He looked back at me and his face changed from confused to angry. I grinned again and he shouted, firing three bullets at me. I easily dodged all of them and flipped over him, grabbing his shoulder hard enough to make him let go of the woman. I kind of felt like Spock, using the Vulcan Nerve Pinch. I can't even begin to explain how awesome that makes me feel.

He didn't appreciate it very much. He turned his gun to me, but I swatted it out of his hand and dislocated his shoulder. He let out a blood curdling scream and I covered his mouth with my hand. When he was done screaming, I shoved him into the wall and said in the most Batman-like voice I could make "Where's Two-Face?!"

He almost instantly gave in and told me.

"He's in the vault holding the bank's CEO's hostage! Don't kill me!"

I looked at the guy in disgust. I punched him in the face and threw him to the ground.

I looked at all the hostages and said "You're all free, get out of here and tell the police that Two-Face is in the vaults."

As everyone else started leaving, the blonde woman asked me "What are you going to do?"

"Me? I'm the welcoming committee." I cracked my knuckles and smirked.

Then she did something I didn't expect. She kissed me on the cheek and said "Thank you for saving my life."

"All in a day's work." I said, somewhat startled, as she left the bank.

I got to the Vaults as quickly as possible. Most of them were closed, and it looked as if they had been closed for a while, but one in particular, Vault 16, caught my eye. The door wasn't quite as rusted as the others, and it wasn't quite in the same position as the others. This had to be the one Two-Face was in.

I carefully opened the Vault and when I looked inside I was in awe at how big it was before I remembered that this was Gotham City. Anyone who could afford a Vault would make sure that it was pretty damn big.

And there was Two-Face right at the end of the Vault. Kneeling at his feet with their hands on their heads were one Caucasian man, blond hair, wearing a nice suit, one thick African-American man in an almost identical suit, and an African-American woman with long flowing black hair.

The first words out of Two-Face's mouth came as less than a surprise.

"You're not Batman!"

"Really? Wow, and I thought he was the detective."

Why is it that criminals never like being insulted?

He instantly shot at me, but I jumped to the left and kicked off of the wall, continuing to do so until I was close enough to him. He was about to kill the CEO's, but I tackled him. However, a bullet went through the Caucasian man's leg. I heard him cry out in pain, kind of a girly shriek. He's probably never been in a fight his whole life.

Two-Face punched me under the chin, which actually kind of hurt, but as he tried to do so again, I grabbed his fist and threw him backward. As he staggered and regained focus, he aimed his gun at me again. I almost panicked but then I remembered one of the first things Batman ever taught me: Always use your surroundings to your advantage.

The person who owned this vault must have been pretty rich, because he actually had blocks of gold in here. Right next to me…

I grabbed one of the blocks and chucked it at Two-Face. I could almost feel it when the gold him in right in the face, knocking him unconscious.

After the police had arrested Two-Face and all of his men, the one CEO was given medical care and the police were thanking me for helping out. Before I could leave the scene, Vicki Vale, a reporter Bruce used to date, stopped me, trying to ask me a bunch of questions. I stopped her from doing so and instead I looked into the camera and said:

"My name is Nightwing, and Gotham City is under my protection."

With that, I got on my bike and drove off into the night, ignoring Vicki shouting her question of "But what about the Batman?"


	4. Family Reunion

**POV: Aqualad**

This is not like my father. I have gotten to know him; he is a member of the Light. He would not deliberately put himself out in the open like this. There has to a bigger picture here, and we are not seeing it yet. This is not the best team I could have hoped for, but I'm sure they will manage. I would rather have Nightwing here by my side. As the Bioship approached the oil rig I looked at the Team members that were accompanying me.

Superboy. When I first met him he was rash and impulsive, but he has since learned. He is skillful and a reliable teammate to have. I would trust him with my life.

Tigress. She and I grew very close during the time we spent under cover. If I can't have Dick by my side, I would gladly place Tigress there.

Beast Boy. He is Ms. Martian's blood brother, and much like her when she was younger. He can be a little too eager to please, but he is still a valued teammate.

Batgirl. She is very resourceful and she was trained by the Batman, making her one of the best fighters we have.

Robin. Like Batgirl he trained with Batman, automatically making him an important asset. His head is always in the mission and he knows what he is doing. He's not quite like Dick was as Robin, but he's learning.

**POV: Tigress**

I haven't seen Black Manta since I betrayed him. This should be fun.

As soon as the Bioship landed I jumped out expecting bullets and lasers to come hurtling towards me, but all I saw was Black Manta standing atop a building with his arms behind his back, as if he were expecting us. His men were all over the place, but they were not attacking, probably under his order.

"Hello, Tigress. Or should I call you Artemis? You kept the costume yet your morals are completely changed. I don't suppose my son is with you."

I couldn't see, but I bet he grinned when Kaldur walked out of the ship.

"Hello, father. I wish I could say it was good to see you again." Says Kaldur, with clear disdain in his voice.

"The feeling is mutual, my son. Since you and your team are here I assume Aquaman was too busy to be bothered by my demands."

There was something different about him. His voice seemed normal, but it was his speech patterns that were making me wonder. He seemed distracted. The Black Manta I knew always got straight to the point.

"My King is dealing with a bigger threat. I suppose you'll just have to settle for us."

"Enough talking, let's get some action!" shouts Beast Boy as he transformed into an elephant and trampled some of Manta's troopers. Manta didn't react to that at all. He valued his troopers' lives; he doesn't consider them to be expendable. Something is really wrong here.

Beast Boy set an example and the others joined in quickly after, and I can tell Kaldur wasn't pleased with Beast Boy, but he didn't say anything. He jumped up to meet his father, and I thought it best to leave the two of them alone.

**POV: Aqualad**

"This isn't like you, father. You've always wanted to find a place in the ocean for your people. Attacking oil rigs was never your style. What are you playing at?"

"It's all part of the plan."

The plan. This could be something I learned of, or it might be an all new plan the Light somehow devised before Manta was captured. But that didn't seem possible. I didn't have much time to give it thought before Manta blasted his lasers at me. I easily dodged them as a I pulled out my water bearers, creating two swords.

I charged at him and sliced one sword forward, which he dodged. He grabs my wrist and slammed his helmet into my forehead. I stumbled backwards and changed my swords into maces before I slammed both of them into his helmet. He fell backwards but caught himself. I put my water bearers away the instant I figured it out.

"You're not my father."

He looked at me and didn't say anything.

I punched the point of the helmet that connects it to the armor, knocking it off into the ocean. He looked at me with his face now revealed, which troubled me.

I took a step backward in disbelief and confusion.

"Prince Orm? What is the meaning of this? What have you done with Black Manta?"

Prince Orm chuckled a very devious chuckled. He looked me dead in the eyes when I noticed his eyes we red with pain. His irises were distorted and almost covered the rest of his pupil in black. He had been lobotomized. When he spoke, Prince Orm's voice did not come out. My father's did.

"You have no idea what happens around you." He pulled out a dead man switch. "The second my thumb comes off of this button, the oil rigs all around this station will release their drills into the ocean at maximum capacity, putting the ocean into a constant state of chaos, turning Atlantis into a giant pile of rubble. The few that survive the experience will finally have their eyes opened, and they will see the Light."

For the first time ever in my career as a hero, I did not know how to react. He was not bluffing. Vandal Savage and the Light had done something to him, he could no longer think for himself.

"Prince Orm, I know you hold disdain for Aquaman for being passed over as King, but you would never harm Atlantis."

He did not respond. His thumb moved around the trigger, taunting me. He took a step backward.

"I might just release the switch right now, and send everyone on this platform to a cold watery grave."

"No!"

I ran towards him, and he took his thumb off of the switch, and threw it into the air. He grinned an evil grin and back flipped off of the platform and into the water. I felt the platform shake as the drill began spinning. I pulled out a water bearer and shot up a line and yanked the switch back down. I placed my thumb on the trigger, but it was too late.

"GET IN THE BIOSHIP!" I shouted at my team. Most of them had taken the advice before I gave it. As the others boarded, I shouted at them to go. They lifted up and flew towards me, but it was too late. The platform crumbled and fell into the water. I saw no more need in holding the switch, so I dropped it into the water and tried to jump at the ship. The door was open and Superboy was holding his hand out, shouting at me to get in. As I made one last desperate attempt, a wave crashed into me, knocking the Bioship away.

Normally I have a strong resistance to water, but my guard is down. I was unprepared. The wave crashed into me, and I fell unconscious. I was like that a long time before my eyes finally opened. I was no longer underwater, and what I saw was much more frightening. My wrists and ankles were shackled to a table and a light was flashing over my head. As I looked up I saw the Light's disembodied scientist, the Brain, and even worse than that, the real Black Manta was staring down at me.

"Hello, Kaldur'ahm. You must know that this is for your own good."


	5. Breaking the News

**POV: Tigress**

"Aqualad!" I wasn't the only one that shouted for him as he disappeared beneath the waves. I looked at Superboy, who was piloting the Bioship, with some difficulty. The pilot needs to be completely focused to fly successfully, and concentration isn't easy at the moment.

"Go back under! We have to search for him! He's Aqualad he could still be alive down there!"

"We leave no man behind!" Robin was backing me up. He's never showed any comradery with Aqualad before, but he's honorable. I respect that.

"We're going back under!" shouted Superboy as the Bioship splashes into the ocean. We swam around the wreckage of the oil platforms for what seemed like hours but we couldn't find a trace of him.

"He's nowhere near here. We've searched every quadrant of this ocean. Even if he were down here, conscious or not, we would at least find a body. We have to assume he's been taken. There's nothing we can do now." Batgirl was the first one to say what we were all worrying. I noticed how she said conscious or not, rather than alive or dead. But she had a point. We would at least find a body. It had to have been Black Manta. The _real_ Black Manta. He's the only one that would want Kaldur.

As Superboy reluctantly flew the Bioship out of the ocean I looked at my teammates once more. Beast Boy was looking out the window with a blank look on his face, unsure of how to react. He idolized the original six members of the team, so he must be taking this hard. Batgirl is focusing on her computer, trying to distract herself. Robin's sulking. He's pissed off; he's probably blaming himself for Aqualad's sacrifice. It pains me, but if Aqualad hadn't distracted that Black Manta impersonator and told us to go, it might have been all of us in that water.

**POV: Superboy**

When the Bioship got back to the Watchtower it took me about two milliseconds to punch a hole in the wall. I took a deep breath and looked as the others were considering what to do. I volunteered to be the one to tell Aquaman, they were all too shocked to argue for that duty.

He happened to be on the Watchtower, in the mess hall. He was at a table eating with Atom and Green Arrow. They must have recently gotten back from their Phantom Zone mission. They looked pretty banged up.

"Atom, Arrow, could I speak with Aquaman?"

"Sure thing, Supes." Says Arrow as he and Atom pick up their meals and relocate.

I bow to Aquaman before he tells me to take a seat.

"What is it you have to report, Kon-El?"

"Troubling news, King Orin. The mission we were sent on to intercept Black Manta at the S.T.A.R Labs oil rigs took a turn for the worse."

"What do you mean by that?"

"When Aqualad removed Manta's helmet in battle, the man underneath wasn't Black Manta. It was… your brother. Prince Orm."

Aquaman formed a look of pure disdain on his face. "Ocean Master. One of his tricks I presume?"

"No, I don't think so. I only caught a few glimpses of him while he and Kaldur were fighting. It was as if he'd been lobotomized to follow certain orders. I can only assume that the Light got to him."

"I see. Why is Kaldur'ahm not reporting this news?"

"That's the troubling part. Orm blew the oil rigs, and most of the team got onto the Bioship in time, Kaldur was caught in the explosion. He went under. We searched for him… but we never found him. We believe the Light may have gotten to him, but we can't be sure."

He sat in silence for a while, just looking at his tray. "Thank you, Superboy." He got up and walked away. I can only imagine what he's feeling. He and Kaldur always had the best relationship between mentor and protégé. After Kaldur went on the deep cover mission it nearly destroyed Aquaman. Now this, it's gotta suck.

**POV: Miss Martian**

"It was so good to finally see Mars again, Uncle J'onn! Thank you for taking me!" I hugged my uncle as he was preparing the Zeta tubes to take us back to the Watchtower.

"It was my pleasure, M'Gann. You should accompany me more often."

"Sure!"

When we arrived on the Watchtower I was delighted to see Conner in the commons area. He looked angry, but then again, he is Superboy. He always looks like that.

"Conner! How have things been on Earth?"

He looked at me and didn't say anything.

"Oh no... what happened?"

He explained everything to me. Prince Orm. Aqualad…

"I should have been here. I was selfish to go to Mars when the team needs my help!"

"M'Gann it's not your fault, there was nothing you could have done." He pulled me into a hug, but I knew that wasn't true. I could have levitated Kaldur off of the platform. Or I could have read Orm's mind to discover he wasn't really Black Manta. I _could_ have helped. _Should_ have.


	6. Mentors

**POV: Black Manta**

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear, Brain. You will bring no damage to my son. After his DNA has been acquired and his genomorph clone created, the original tissue remains with me." He may have been a member of the Light longer than I have, but I do not trust this disembodied brain.

"You underestimate me, Manta. Monsieur Mallah and I cultivated the DNA to create Superboy."

"And Superboy betrayed you, did he not?"

If he had a face I assume he would have scowled at me, but he chose not to respond a wise decision. I watched as his gorilla companion dissected my son. The sight disgusted me, but I agreed the only way I would allow them to do this was if I acted as his handler and I was present for the operation.

**POV: Aquaman**

I cannot say that Superboy's news did not trouble me. It would was only three months ago did I discover Kaldur'ahm was indeed not a traitor, now he is missing. I do not know what possessed me to do so, but I felt the need to visit someone. A friend I have had for a long time, yet a friend I have not truly spoken to since a funeral.

He opened the door less than a second the doorbell rang, as expected.

"Hey, Orin! Is something wrong?"

"Hello, Barry. May I come inside?"

My friend invited me in and offered me dinner. I accepted, as his wife, Iris, was at work, developing a story on one of the Flash's most recent battles. Ever since he learned his wife would be giving birth to twins from his future grandson, Barry has been using it as his main distraction to be happy.

"You must cherish every moment you spend with them, Barry."

He smiled a genuine smile, but it soon faded.

"I will protect them with my life."

I know the topic must have troubled him. He was so happy about his growing family, but he must feel guilty about it because of the loss of my son.

"One day soon, Black Manta will pay for what he has done to me."

"I know, old friend. And I'll be there to see it."

I informed him of Kaldur'ahm's absence from the team, and his positive attitude diminished. After the Reach's final stand he had always been bitter when on the topic of the Team.

"Is that why you came here? To tell me about the Team's troubles?"

"No. I came here to share grievances. Over time, I have learned that they are best experience with another."

He sighed and hung his head. "You're right. I'm sorry."

It was easy for me to forgive him. He is one of the few Justice Leaguers that truly knows the experience of a loss of family.

**POV: Batman**

I thought I raised that boy to be better than this. Unless he wasn't trying to cover up his presence in the Batcave, I'm not impressed. It was obvious he'd been here within the first minute I'd returned. This _is_ his home; it does not trouble me that he was here. What troubles me, is that he made a public appearance in violation of the Team's agreement to always operate stealthily and addressed the media. When I find him, which will not take long, I am going to have a serious talk with him.

Finding his makeshift headquarters in the abandoned Gotham Subway was the easy part. He wasn't there, but he was nearby, fighting off a squad of at least fifteen Jokerz. Ever since Joker's apparent death, more and more Gotham criminals have been dressing up like him and causing disturbances, they call themselves the Jokerz. Their crime is organized, they have to have some sort of leader, but I am nowhere near close to finding out who it is.

I jumped down into the alleyway on top of one the Jokerz, taking him instantly out of the battle. I grabbed another one and slammed him into another one. Nightwing takes quick notice of me before returning to fighting the goons.

"What are you doing in Gotham?" I ask him as I slam two of their heads together.

"What is look like I'm doing in Gotham?" he asks as he throws his escrima stick at a Joker behind me. I grab the same Joker's foot and throw him at another one.

"Disobeying orders."

"I'm doing what's necessary. That's what you taught me, remember?"

"Until last week, the world had no idea that Nightwing even existed. This isn't about recognition." I punch another Joker in the face.

He kicks one in the throat, and ducks under a punch by another one. He grabs their wrist and breaks their arm, and lifted them up at an angle and slamming them into the ground once more.

"You think that's what this is about? You were busy in the Phantom Zone, so I took charge of things around here. If I hadn't, Two-Face would have taken everything, and I don't get so much as a 'Thank You'."

"You expect gratitude for disregarding everything I stand for?"

He turns to me, and although I had no idea there was a Joker behind me he throws a punch.

There was no Joker behind me.

I hit the ground as he knocks the last Joker unconscious.

"I saved lives. I took out one of your most dangerous enemies and I put hope into the hearts of the people of this city by letting them know that the Batman isn't their only protector."

He takes a deep breath. He knows I know he isn't finished, so allow him to continue.

"Ever since Wally died, I've constantly been questioning my own worth. We live in a world with alien beings that could move the world with one hand, a world where people know about other planets and alien conquerors. When looking at the bigger picture, what good can regular people in costumes really be? For three months I asked myself that question. But I realized that it's those crazy regular people in costumes that set an example. We show the rest of the world that people like them are capable of standing among gods. If Wally had seen me, he would have been disappointed in me. I was constantly wallowing around in self-pity rather than actually trying to make a difference, like I did as Robin. I was always so full of hope and happiness. When the time came for me to be Nightwing I was psyched. I loved being independent, I loved leading the team. But then Jason died. I started seeing the world like you did; black and white, with no grey area in between. From then on, I became determined to live up to the expectations that Robin never met, as Nightwing. When I came back to Gotham, all those realizations came back to me and I knew that I had to start making a difference again. So I decided that until you got back, I'd keep crime here under control, and when you returned I'd return to the Team."

I stared at him in silence for some time. I had never known he felt this way. I remembered what I told Wonder Woman a long time ago; the reason I had taken him in was so that he wouldn't turn out like me. And here he was, trying to do exactly that.

"Dick, it isn't like you to be acting this way. The Dick Grayson I knew, whether he was Robin or Nightwing, always let everyone else know that no matter how bad things got there was still hope, and he did it with happiness. This new you reminds me of me. And that scares me. The work you've done in my place is impressive, and one day I will be proud to name you as my successor, but I do not want you to be like me. Don't change yourself because of Wally's death. He wouldn't have wanted you to become like me, he would have wanted you to help your friends through all of this."

He sighed. I've gotten to him. But even I couldn't deduce what he was thinking. He sat down and slouched against one of the walls. One of the Jokerz lying next to him groaned and started getting up. He slammed his fist into their head, knocking it into the ground again.

"You're right. You're absolutely right. I can't do this anymore, I need my friends and they need me. I need to go back to the Team." He got up and started walking towards me.

"One last thing before you go."

His eyebrows rose. I'd peaked his interest.

"I'm going to require your help in solving the case of the Jokerz leader and taking them down. For old time's sake."

He smiled.

"I'm in."


	7. An Actual Mission

**POV: Kid Flash**

When I got the alert that Kaldur went missing I went and searched the perimeter of the ocean area. I found nothing, not that I was surprised though. I'm certain he's not dead though. At least… not yet. History books say he still has a big role to play in history. So does his dad, the big bad Black Manta. But that's not the most important matter at the moment. We'll find Aqualad eventually, but only after the whole Lex Luthor/Super-family incident at the Daily Planet. Then again, half of my predictions of the future haven't been true since I've gotten back. But no, I have to remain faithful that we will find Aqualad. We can't afford to lose him too.

Before I zeta'd back to the Watchtower I took a quick swing by the ruins of Mt. Justice. I hadn't grown so accustomed to the place as much as some of the others, but it still meant a lot to the Team. The public still has no idea what really went on in that place, and they're nowhere near solving the case of how and why it exploded. I still can't believe Aqualad and Artemis were willing to do that, it was hardcore, and it defied history. I'd say I have no one to blame but myself, but blame isn't the right word. If I weren't here, the Earth would be slaves to the Reach already.

I got to the Watchtower and met up with the others. Since Nightwing was on a leave and Aqualad's MIA, Batman temporarily put Batgirl in charge. I can see why, she's the most qualified out of all of us. The League has been handing little missions to the Team to keep us occupied while they search for Aqualad. Right now, more than half of the Team was split up on three different missions. The only ones that were still available were all here including Lagoon Boy, Ms. Martian, Robin, and Wonder Girl.

**POV: Batgirl**

"Alright, we're all here. Good. We've finally got an actual meaningful mission on our hands."

"Well it's about time if you ask me. Did Batman assign it?" asks Robin.

"No. I've found this one myself. You all remember G. Gordon Godfrey, right?"

"Yeah, we remember him." Says Wonder Girl with obvious disdain in her voice. A while ago Godfrey personally attacked Wonder Woman on the air, saying she dressed like a prostitute and Wonder Girl took it personally. She'd tried to punch him in the face and he got a restraining order against her. I still haven't heard the end of it.

"Well three months ago, not long after the Reach Apocalypse, Godfrey was supposedly fired from the television station he'd been working for. For some time after that he was working for LexCorp as Luthor's campaign manager for Secretary General. Two weeks ago, Godfrey went missing and Luthor claimed he had been laid off and hadn't seen him since. Batman, Robin, and I have been investigating this but we've found no trace of him whatsoever in Gotham, Metropolis, _or_ New York City. However, after Luthor addressed the public about Godfrey's removal from the campaign, Superman could see Apokaliptian radiation emitting off of Luthor. We think that Luthor and Godfrey might still be working together, and that Apokalips is becoming a bigger part of the Light's schemes."

"Sounds crash, but how are we gonna get any answers out of Luthor?" asks Kid Flash. You'd think he might know about this stuff, but hey, I guess not everything can be a major event in history. Maybe this isn't as important a mission as I thought.

"Luthor's not necessarily the one we're going after. We're going to go through LexCorp's secret archives, hopefully get some inside intel on the Light, and Godfrey's whereabouts."

"This all sounds important, Batgirl, but what does this have to do with Aqualad's disappearance? And why are we trying to locate Godfrey, who, by some standards, could be considered an enemy of the League?" asks Ms. Martian. She brings up some valid points, but Batman taught to always have more than valid answers.

"If Aqualad _was_ taken by the Light, Luthor might have information about it, among other things. And no matter how much we may dislike Godfrey, he's still a missing person, and it is our duty to protect him until we uncover more information."

"Good enough reason for me, let's get moving. Luthor's software won't go hacking itself." Says Robin. Despite his arrogance, that boy always manages to live up to the Robin title.

As we're moving out, Ms. Martian's questions ring in my head. I hope Luthor does have information on Aqualad and that this mission does have a purpose. I can only hope so.


	8. Fall of the Jokerz

**POV: Nightwing**

"Look, man, I want to make sure you get out of here. All you have to do is tell us who your leader is. If you cooperate, you'll make it out of this unscathed. But if you don't, I can't guarantee you're safety when my partner begins his interrogation."

I hate being good cop.

No one ever listens to the good cop. Whenever I did this with Wally he let me bed bad cop, but if Batman ever has to be good cop, then that would be seriously wrong. We let Commissioner Gordon, Barbara's dad, let us take over the interrogations of some of the Jokerz to find out who their leader is. So far none of them have been cooperative.

"Oh, please. You think I'm gonna give her up just because some guys in spandex are trying to sweet talk me?"

"Her? So the Jokerz' leader's a female?"

"What? No! I- I meant him! _He_ would kill me if I gave _him_ away. Talk to one of the other guys!"

I sighed. I looked back at Batman, who'd been being silent. He let me have my turn, now it was time for him to take over. I stood up and stepped back against the wall. The second my back made contact with the wall, Batman had his hands on the Joker's collar and was slamming him into the wall.

"Talk. While you still have a jaw."

He was obviously afraid.

"I'd talk if I were you, Joker." I said the word 'Joker' as if it were the absolute worst insult I could think of.

"I- I- I can tell you where she is!"

"So you admit she's a girl?" I'm just toying with him now.

"Yes! Alright! She's a girl! Her name's Harley Quinn! She claims that she'd been Joker's sidekick before his death, and the last guy who questioned it got a bullet in his mouth! She's got a base in one of the Riddler's old hideouts in the East Gotham docks near the Iceberg Lounge! Sometimes she hangs out there, she says she's one of Penguin's VIP's, and that's all I know! I swear!"

Batman stared at him for a second, and then punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious.

"Harley Quinn. The name sounds familiar, but we can deal with that later. Let's get moving."

He offered me a ride in the Bat-mobile, but that shotgun seat belonged to Robin. Nightwing has his own motorcycle. We rode through the night and everyone who saw us knew we were headed somewhere that would make Gotham a safer place.

We decided to search the Iceberg Lounge first, she might have been there, and if not, Penguin might have additional information on her. He parked directly in front and got out.

"Um, shouldn't we sneak in?"

"What's the point? I'm on Penguin's VIP list."

He smirked and continued walking in.

Wow, I have missed a lot.

When we walked in I could feel all the eyes land on us. Mostly Batman, but some of them were giving me looks. No one got up to challenge us but everyone's eyes followed us as we walked to Penguin's office. One of the servers offered us drinks when we got there, but Batman just kept on walking.

"No thank you." I said to her and followed him inside.

"Cobblepot." Says Batman, freaking out the Penguin so much he falls out of his chair. He scrambles and stands up, straightening up. Well, as straight as he can get.

"Batman? What are you doing here?"

"Harley Quinn. We need information on her."

"Harley Quinn? Yeah, she's in charge of that new Joker gang, has been for some time now. I saw her in here once with the Joker about a week before he died, then a month went by, and she started showing up again, in a new costume, always with an entourage of thugs. She was a few days ago, in fact, she has a reservation for tonight."

Batman and I exchanged looks.

"When tonight?" I asked Penguin. He looked at me and scowled. Batman took a step towards him, Penguin took a step back.

"When tonight?" asks Batman.

"In about thirty minutes."

"Then in that case, we'd like to be seated."

We sat at the top balcony for a half hour eating. We made small conversation about the Team and the League. He told me G. Gordon Godfrey went missing two weeks ago, and that he, Robin, and Batgirl were investigating the matter. Finally, Quinn arrived.

Her skin was pure white, like the Joker's. Her hair was black, but the tips of her pigtails were red. She had a black eye mask like the one I used to wear as Robin. The rest of her costume was seemingly red and black lingerie designed like a playing card.

"Well, I think we've got our woman." I say, but Batman's already gone. "Just once, I wish he would say 'Let's go!' or 'Move out!' Just once!"

I was about to jump off the balcony before I realized he hadn't gone into action. The hostess was leading Harley and five Jokerz to a table. When they turned a corner, Batman grabbed one of the Jokerz and pulled him back. I smirked. So that's how it's gonna be.

I met him by the corner.

"Took you long enough."

"What's the play?"

"Wait until she's seated and has her back turned to us, and we take out the rest of the Jokerz."

"Got it."

When she was seated she looked at the four Jokerz and a look of confusion passed over her face.

"Where's Jerry?"

The Jokerz looked around confused. A couple of them shrugged, and the next thing any of them knew, Batman and I had taken them out. Everyone was watching us, but no one intervened. Batman and I sat down and Harley was panicking. She got up but Batman instantly said in the stern voice he used to use when scolding me back when I was nine, "Sit down."

She quickly sat down and said "Yessir."

I let out a laugh.

"You're Harley Quinn? The leader of the Jokerz? And you're taking orders from Batman?"

I laughed again. She got mad.

"Listen here, birdbrain, I've got half a mind to-"

"Half a mind?" I interrupted her. "Surprised to see you've got a mind at all."

She grumbled and crossed her arms. Batman gave me the look that told me to shut up.

"Harley. I've heard you knew the Joker."

"Knew him? I loved him!"

My eyebrows raised as well as Batman's.

Her voice sounded dreamy when she spoke next. "I was the last one to see him before he disappeared. He said we were gonna get married."

"Disappeared? Harley, the Joker is dead." I told her. She looked confused again.

"Dead? That can't be right. How many times has the Joker died before?"

She had a point. He'd faked his death many times before, and he always came back. But this was different, he's been gone for nearly a year. Batman and I exchanged looks once more.

"Harley, perhaps we should continue this conversation somewhere more private."

She shot him with a finger gun and winked. She got up and said "Sure thing, Bats."

He then put hand cuffs on her and said "Say, a jail cell."

"What?! No, come on!"

I grabbed her other arm and we escorted her out. After she was in the backseat, Batman turned to me.

"I can escort her to Gordon, and finish the interrogation on my own. You should get back to the team."

"No I can-" I sighed. "You're right. Let me know what you find out."

He nodded and got in his car. As he sped off I let out one last sigh of the night and got on my motorcycle to head to the nearest Zeta Tube.


End file.
